Stella in Stilettos by Jan Romes

his hands to his hips and his mouth drew up in a smile.
    She hurried to the cashier with her cup of java. Before she paid, a hand darted in front of her with two crisp dollar bills. A deep-timbered voice said, “I’ve got it.”
    Leisurely and deliberately, Stella’s gaze traveled from the hand, up the owners’ arm, until it came to rest on a sexy pair of violet eyes. “Alex,” she simply said.
    “Stella.” Alex said her name like he enjoyed it. “I almost didn’t recognize you. Your hair is …down. And you’re not wearing glasses.”
    She laughed lightly. “You’re right.” Although he didn’t say he liked the transformation, his eyes did and she felt a wicked sense of accomplishment.
    The cashier coughed subtly. “Your change, sir.”
    Alex kept his eyes locked on Stella. “Keep it,” he said to the woman.
    Stella held up the coffee cup. “You didn’t have to do this.”
    “I owed you a cup. Remember?”
    She opened the sip-tab, indulged in a careful sip and smacked her lips. “Your words. Not mine.”
    “I like to return the favor,” he replied.
    Her new confidence slipped a little when she considered that his interest was nothing more than a silly debt repayment. She checked her watch. “See you upstairs.”
    Alex stood in a daze as he watched Stella walk away.
    “She’s single, right?”
    “What?” Alex asked, still half-dazed.
    “Is Stella dating anyone?”
    He turned to find Jim Roberts doing the same thing he was, drooling. Jealousy surged through Alex unlike anything he’d experienced before and he had an urge to rearrange Jim’s nose to the side of his head. He sharpened his voice. “Yes. She is.”
    Jim disregarded the information. “No ring. Fair game.”
    The man has a death-wish . Alex clenched his fists at his side.
    “But hey, she’s way too smart for my taste. I prefer my women a little less bright.” Jim raised his eyebrows up and down. “More pliable, if you know what I mean.”
    The wolf was backing off, but Alex still wanted to knock him into next Tuesday.
    Actually, a look around the room said all the wolves had caught her scent. Alex cursed his way to the elevator.
    Luckily, Maggie was not in her office and there were no voice mails demanding his presence the second he arrived. Maybe Marc had given orders for them to ease up for awhile. He could only hope.
    Steve Benson poked his head around the corner. “Hey dirt bag, what’s up?”
    Alex issued Steve a lethal look, but it didn’t stop the heckler from plopping down beside him. “Go away. I’m busy.”
    Steve propped his elbows on his thighs and laid his chin in hands. “Did you see Stella today?”
    Of course he’d seen her. Everyone had. “Yes,” he said, with a thimbleful of enthusiasm. If he didn’t make a big deal out of it, maybe Steve would let it go.
    Steve licked his lips. “She’s yummy.”
    A pang of jealousy stronger than the one he felt earlier stretched the fine thread of control holding him together. He cupped his fist in his other hand.
    Aww, hell. Disassembling Steve wasn’t going to fix the problem. There were plenty of other guys sniffing around Stella too, and he couldn’t kick all their asses.
    “You must not have heard me,” Steve said.
    Alex shuttered his eyes. “I saw her.”
    Whenever he got pissy, Steve turned up the heckle-dial. “Somebody get up on the wrong side of the bed?”
    Alex put his foot on the wheel of Steve’s chair and gave it a significant push. “I’ve got work to do.”
    Steve rolled back. “That’s become a catch-phrase of yours, buddy.”
    “No it hasn’t. Some people actually work around here.” It wasn’t a lie. He really did have a ton of things to do – like keep tabs on Stella. He might even wander to her cubicle if he could get his temper in check.
    Steve studied him quietly. That was a first. “What’s with you lately?”
    “Nothing I care to talk about.” He couldn’t tell Steve about the Jett Morgan and Maggie Watkins fiasco. He